Rumour Has It
by secretfanficlover
Summary: MuggleAU. Harry and Ron work at Charlie's restaurant and Harry makes friends with a mysterious post-it writer.


**This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.**

School: Durmstrang

Year: 4

Grammar School- Introducing a Story

Word Count: 933 (10% Leeway used on word count)

Note- MuggleAU.

Arts & Crafts Task 3: Write about doing something in a unique way

**Rumour Has It**

_Did you know? At birth, a baby panda is smaller than a mouse._

Harry sat eating his green apple, wondering who this mysterious work colleague was. The violet post-it notes would suggest perhaps a woman, but the handwriting was more masculine. It had been a week since Harry had started working at this restaurant with his best friend Ron, whose brother seemed to be the owner of this seaside diner. This relationship of sticky notes had started with a fun fact like the one above, but many of their notes had various degrees of facts ranging from random fun facts to actual events that take place in the restaurant. Harry was waiting for the dinner rush to start, and as the floor manager he always got there early to make sure everything was running smoothly.

Harry took out his own mustard yellow post-it notes, he knew he was taking a big risk doing this, but instead of the usual nonsense that transpired between the two note writers, he decided he wanted to actually meet this person. He was staring out at the sun sinking below the dark blue ocean as he wrote:

_Hey, I know this seems odd, but here is my contact number. Perhaps we can discuss that day when the woman came in and ordered a latte for the ten-year-old boy? _

Harry made sure to leave more than one note, they usually did; ranging from various facts, things to do in the next shift, and so on.

The next day Harry couldn't sleep, he couldn't stop looking at his phone, wondering if the post-it writer was going to call. It was 12:30 when he got his first text:

_Did you know? Standing around burns calories. On average, a 150 pound person burns 114 calories per hour while standing and doing nothing._

_So, it seems like us managers of the store also manage to lose weight while we work. _Harry typed back, eager for a response. He walked to the kitchen to make himself a Pina colada cocktail while waiting for the phone to buzz. He had the afternoon off, and was planning on having a nice evening at home, away from the hustle and bustle of the restaurants night time clientele.

It was clear his response had changed something from the next message.

His phone buzzed again. _You're a manager in the store? _

Harry wasn't sure why this was important, but replied anyway.

_Yes, that's correct. Aren't you?_

The next message took a while before it came through; Harry's heart was in his throat, had he scared the person off?

When his phone buzzed he grabbed it instantly.

_Not exactly, please tell me you're not Ron Weasley. _The message gave him pause; this person knew who was on the day time managerial staff.

His phone buzzed again as he was typing.

_Oh thank goodness, I found out what Ron's number is from my mother._ _I enjoy being able to talk to you more quickly, I used to wait all day for your messages, smiling as I read them. One of the funnier ones you wrote about the drunk man singing at the bar and ended up falling off his chair was a fun one to imagine._

These last messages made Harry feel cheeky, he wanted to hear this man's voice. He opened his phone to start a message and paused, he made a point of not dating anyone lately, his last relationship was doomed from the start—well, it was hardly a relationship. He was in love with a straight blond boy in his school that taunted and teased him mercilessly. Harry had a feeling this man could be his exception—the one that was worth risking it all.

_Can I call you?_

It took Harry a while to realise the message wasn't from him—it was from his suiter. He nodded, and then laughing out loud he typed his response.

_Of course_

His breath caught in his throat as he hit send. He took a large gulp of his cocktail, feeling like his heart was swelling up like a sponge. It was a couple of hours before his phone finally rang. '_This is it,_' he thought, gathering his courage to answer.

"Hi," Harry said as he pressed the green button.

"Hey, there. You're Harry right, my brother's friend?" the man said on the other end of the phone.

Harry gulped again; this man was Ron's _brother, _the owner of The Seaside Pub.

"I suppose that means you're Charlie?" he asked. Ron had mentioned a rumour that Charlie was gay, and it would be ruthless to find after all this time that this man had no intention of anything more than a friendship.

"Yes," Charlie laughed. His laugh made Harry's insides melt.

"Harry, I know this might be a tad unorthodox but you're awesome!" Charlie said, pausing.

"I wasn't even sure you'd be interested in me," Harry responded.

"I just want a chance. That's all, go out with me? I'll meet you at the bar after my shift. I'm wearing a mustard yellow bandana—the same shade of your post-it notes," he added as an afterthought.

When Harry reached the bar he saw the gorgeous redhead at the bar, his long hair taken back with the yellow bandana, as he said.

He walked right up to him and said, "Is this seat taken?" The answering smile took his breath away.

"Just don't think this means a promotion," Charlie joked, winking at the brunet. At the table stood two Pina coladas, and soon Harry realised they had more in common than he could have ever imagined.


End file.
